1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to method and apparatus for measuring and displaying a distance between surfaces or edges of one or more solid figures displayed in a displaying unit in a three-dimensional space, and more particularly to method and apparatus for measuring and displaying a distance of a route in one or more solid figures in a simple operation even though shapes of the solid figures are complicated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various solid figures are drawn in a three-dimensional space by utilizing a computer aided graphic design apparatus to display those solid figures in a display screen. In this case, it is required to measure a distance between surfaces of solid figures facing each other, a distance between edges of the solid figures or a distance between vertexes of the solid figures for the purpose of determining all actual distance between the solid figures drawn in the display screen. For example, various types of figure elements such as a surface, an edge and a vertex are prepared for each of the solid figures to measure the distance in the three-dimensional space in the computer aided graphic design apparatus, and an operator selects one of types of figure elements in each of measured solid figures with a mouse. Thereafter, a distance between the selected type of figure element of a first measured figure and the selected type of figure element of a second measured figure is calculated and displayed in the display screen.
2.1. Previously Proposed Art
A conventional apparatus for measuring a distance between solid figures displayed in a display screen is described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional distance measuring apparatus for measuring a distance between solid figures.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional distance measuring apparatus 11 is provided with a mouse input information reading section 12 for reading a type of figure element displayed in a figure element menu region of a display screen with a mouse cursor moved by an operator and a position of the mouse cursor designating a figure element displayed in a figure display region of the display screen, a solid figure data storing section 13 for storing pieces of solid figure data denoting shapes of a plurality of solid figures and pieces of solid figure element data denoting shapes of figure elements of each of the solid figures which are displayed in the figure display region, a figure element type storing section 14 for storing the type of figure element read in the reading section 12, and a figure element distinguishing section 15 for distinguishing a figure element from the figure elements displayed in the figure display region of which the figure element data are transferred from the storing section 13. A type of the figure element distinguished in the distinguishing section 15 is the same as the type of figure element stored in the storing section 14, and the figure element distinguished is displayed near the position read in the reading section 12.
The apparatus 11 is further provided with a distance calculating section 16 for calculating a distance between the figure elements of figures facing each other which are distinguished in the distinguishing section 15 one after another, and a display processing section 17 for displaying the distance calculated in the calculating section 16 in the figure display region and emphatically displaying the figure elements distinguished in the distinguishing section 15.
In the above configuration, a distance between a first figure element E1 of a first solid figure F1 and a second figure element E2 of a second solid figure F1 is measured. Initially, types of the first and second figure elements E1, E2 are read in the mouse input information reading section 12. In detail, as shown in FIG. 2A, the first and second solid figures F1, F2 stored in the solid figure storing section 13 are displayed in the figure display region as an initial image with a figure element menu displayed in the figure element menu region. The figure element menu is composed of a first figure element selecting section 20a and a second figure element selecting section 20b. In each of the selecting sections, various types of figure elements such as "surface", "edge" and "vertex" are prepared. Therefore, an operator operates a mouse cursor Cm of a mouse 18 to designate a type of a first figure element in the first figure element section 20a, and the operator pushes a left mouse button 19 of the mouse 18 to read the type of the first figure element in the reading section 12. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2B, the operator operates the mouse cursor Cm to designate a type of a second figure element in the second figure element section 20b, and the operator pushes the left mouse button 19 to read the type of the second figure element in the reading section 12. The types of the first and second figure elements read in the reading section 12 are stored in the figure element type storing section 14.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2C, the operator moves the mouse cursor Cm toward the figure display region to position the mouse cursor Cm near the first figure element E1 of the first solid figure F1, and the operator pushes the left mouse button 19. Therefore, the position of the mouse cursor Cm is read in the reading section 12 and is transferred to the figure element distinguishing section 15. In the distinguishing section 15, because the first figure element E1 is arranged at a position nearest to the mouse cursor Cm among the figure elements of the same type as that of the first figure element stored in the storing section 14, the first figure element E1 is distinguished from the figure elements of the first solid figure F1 of which the data are stored in the storing section 13. Thereafter, the first figure element E1 distinguished is emphatically displayed in the figure display region by the function of the display processing section 17. Also, the first figure element E1 distinguished is transferred to the distance calculating section 16.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2D, the operator moves the mouse cursor Cm near the second figure element E2 of the second solid figure F2, and the operator pushes the left mouse button 19. Therefore, the position of the mouse cursor Cm is read in the reading section 12 and is transferred to the figure element distinguishing section 15. In the distinguishing section 15, because the second figure element E2 is arranged at a position nearest to the mouse cursor Cm among the figure elements of the same type as that of the second figure element stored in the storing section 14, the second figure element E2 is distinguished from the figure elements of the second solid figure F2 of which the data are stored in the storing section 13. Thereafter, the second figure element E2 distinguished is emphatically displayed in the figure display region by the function of the display processing section 17. Thereafter, a distance between the first and second figure elements E1, E2 distinguished in the distinguishing section 15 is calculated in the distance calculating section 16, and the distance calculated is displayed in a distance display window Wd of the figure display region by the function of the display processing section 17.
Accordingly, because a first-stage operation in which types of figure elements of measured solid figures are designated in the figure element menu region in advance and a second-stage operation in which the figure elements of the measured solid figures are designated in the figure display region are performed by the operator in the conventional apparatus 11, a distance between the figure elements of the measured solid figures can be displayed in the figure display region.
2.2. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
However, because two types of operations are required of the operator in the conventional apparatus 11, it takes a lot of time to obtain the distance, and the operations are troublesome for the operator.
Also, because figure elements of solid figures designated by the mouse cursor Cm are necessarily required to determine a distance between two positions of the solid figures, the distance cannot be measured in cases where any figure element does not exist in the positions of the solid figures. Therefore, when an operator intends to draw solid figures while confirming a distance between two positions of the solid figures at which any figure element does not exist, the operator cannot utilize a distance measuring function of the conventional apparatus 11, so that the solid figures cannot be efficiently drawn.
In addition, a distance in a straight line is measured in the conventional apparatus 11, a distance of a curved line along a complicated curved outline of a solid figure cannot be measured in the conventional apparatus 11.